SSU-UIS 40th Anniversary

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Posted by Joan Sestak on behalf of BECKY MONROE VEACH:
PLEASE EXCUSE THE ALL CAPS. IT'S HOW I WORK AROUND LOSING MY LEFT HAND TO AS STROKE IN 1998.
I WAS PREGNANT WITH MY THIRD SON AND LIVING IN CHATHAM WHEN IL ANNOUNCED IT WAS LAUNCHING SANGAMON STATE. THE UPPER DIVISION WAS PERFECT FOR ME BECAUSE I DROPPED OUT OF COLLEGE AFTER 2 YEARS. MY HUSBAND AND I SIGNED UP AS CHARTER STUDENTS.
THEN BOB SPENCER ANNOUNCED ON TV THAT STUDENTS AND FACULTY WOULD BE ORGANIZING THE PLACE TO BE TOTALLY INNOVATIVE,
I FIGURED THIS SCHOOL WAS GOING TO MEET SOMEONE'S NEEDS SO IT MIGHT AS WELL WORK FOR ME, I CALLED SPENCER'S OFFICE AND ASKED FOR AN INVITATION.
JERRY AND I WERE BLOWN AWAY BY THE GOVERNANCE WORKSHOP. HE WAS THRILLED TO TAKE CLASSES FROM BOB BATSON. I WAS HAPPY TO TAKE MY TEACHER'S PREP FROM JACKIE JACKSON.
THE LAKE CAMPUS WAS NOT READY WHEN CLASSES BEGAN, SO BATSON'S AMERICAN PUBLIC BUREAUCRACY MET AT A BAR DOWNTOWN, WITH THE PROF DECLARING"WHEN YOU'RE OUT OF BUD, YOU'RE OUT OF BUREAU!"
I WAS AFRAID SOAP OPERAS HAD ROTTED MY BRAIN, SO I ONLY SIGNED UP FOR CLASSES THAT SOUNDED LIKE FUN: DOUG MORGAN'S ORIGIN AND IMPLICATIONS OF THE AMERICAN CONSTITUTION, JOHN KEISER'S AMERICAN LABOR HISTORY, AND JACKIE;S SCHOOL AND COMMUNITY. I WORKED LIKE CRAZY. THEN AT THE END OF THE QUARTER, JOHN CALLED ME INTO HIS OFFICE. HE TOLD ME HE HAD AGREED TO BE VPAA, SO HE NEEDED HELP FINISHING HIS BOOK ON ILLINOIS. HE ASKED ME TO BE HIS RESEARCH ASSISTANT I WOULD GET FREE TUITION AND TO MY SHOCK, SSU WAS GOING TO PAY ME CASH FOR DOING SOMETHING I WOULD ENJOY SO MUCH!
I BECAME AN ACADEMIC BUREAUCRAT. SSU CONTINUED TO REORGANIZE. IT TURNED OUT WE COULD DO ANYTHING AS LONG AS WE AVOIDED TRADITIONAL TERMS. WE HAD PROGRAMS BUT NOT DEPARTMENTS; CLUSTERS BUT NOT SCHOOLS; ASSOCIATES BUT NOT DEANS.
WE MANAGED WITH NO MONEY. COULDN'T AFFORD EXPENSIVE SOFTWARE LIKE LOTUS 1-2-3, so we used off-brand programs like supercalc and reflex, but we did get into the computer age.
I RELUCTANTLY LEFT SSU WHEN BELL TRANSFERRED JERRY TO CHICAGO IN 1990. MY EXPERIENCE AT THIS MARVELOUS, WEIRD PLACE GOT ME A GREAT JOB AT THE UIC COLLEGE OF MEDICINE WHERE I RETIRED IN 2002.
HAPPY 40TH BIRTHDAY, SANGAMON STATE!
BECKY MONROE VEACH